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The Power of Emotional Connection: Transformation in the Iliad

May 21, 2023 | 0 comments

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May 21, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Achilles is described as temperamental, a killer, a leader full of anger. He had an iron heart, full of rape and looting, besides this, he was bright bigger, and muscular. He also rode with an emotional current meaning when he got upset, he was really at the extreme (97). In the Iliad, he faced many dilemmas on which he was supposed to make decisions, and this makes him go through some transformation from being human and getting to the point where his anger surpasses his human feelings (97).

Priam’s son Hektor is killed in a war with Achilles, and his dead body is humiliated, beaten, stripped, and dragged around in Achilles’s chariot in which tied. Priam was not a warrior king he depended on his sons Hecktor army, Hecktor was the favorite amongst all his sons. His death made Priam plunge into depression, nothing else mattered to him, and not even his stature as a king, all he wanted was to give his son an honorable burial (99).

 

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He went to sneak in a message to Achilles, a word with the spiritual symbol attached to it, he was to meet Achilles as a commoner, a friend guest, a humble person. Despite being warned by his wife, he was determined (Porter 99).

Priam’s meeting with Achilles was quite significant in changing Achillies’ emotion, according to tradition this meeting could have been packed with the war between Achilles and Priam as Priam would have come to avenge the hectors death, but he came begging for mercy, he kissed Achillies army breaking the taboo. (101) The encounter was a spiritual type of a meeting and by Priam agreeing to see Achilles as a father other than a king, showed humility, and it also broke any barriers that would have trigger a strict negotiation process in which he would end up losing and it would erase the spirituality aspect of it. As he had contacted Iris for direction and he gave the spiritual path (Porter 101)

Priam’s cry for his son and the emotion that engulfed his visit softened Achilles’ heart, Priam was able to connect with him emotionally. This act changed it all as it caused Achilles to see Priam as his old father mourning his death, this awakened the sympathy in him and made them unite in emotions and in mourning together. (102) A connection established between the two, Achilles anger became anguish, and Priam’s anguish grew into forgiveness. Through this, they formed to be a special kinship built for the two kings through this emotional suffering (102).

Agamemnon, on the other hand, did not appeal to Achilles, He breached their agreement and it was only after almost getting defeat by Hecktor is when he decided to send sent his three soldiers dear to Achilles; Ajax, Phoenix, and Odysseus to persuade him to rejoin the battle (107). Achilles stated that Agamemnon was not trustworthy when it comes to giving the gifts, and his promise of having many valuable including her daughter’s hand in marriage was not appealing. He doubted whether it could be fulfilled He offered Achillie valuable including her daughter’s hand for marriage, Achilles is adamant, and he refused the offer stating that nothing can repair the breach (108).

Ajax rebukes Achlies for having “turned his great heart savage” and went further to explain to him how civilized people should agree to laws that mitigate their trouble. Achillies acknowledges this but it was not enough to convince him. (104)

In conclusion, even though Primas was the enemy his approach towards Achilles was the one that he could relate to, he was emotionally broken, and Achilles could see. Though he was royalty (99), he threw all that in the ditch just to get to his son

Works cited

Porta, Sergio. Descendants Of Troy: Readings In The Humanities. 2nd ed., Cognella Academic Publishing, 2011, 2011, pp. 10-496.

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